Ponta is very large in terms of size, easily towering over his partner Sabu and was even mistaken for a bear by [[Kisame Hoshigaki]].<ref>''Naruto''chapter 469, page 1</ref> He is predominantly orange in colour with brown markings around his face, ears, feet and circular one running along the length of his tail. The area directly around his moth is white however. He also wears bandages on his front paws.

+

Ponta is very large in terms of size, easily towering over his partner Sabu <ref>Chapter 469, page 1 </ref> and was even mistaken for a bear by [[Kisame Hoshigaki]].<ref>Chapter470, page 10, Panel 3 </ref> He is predominantly orange in colour with brown markings around his face, ears, feet and circular one running along the length of his tail. The area directly around his mouth is white however. He also wears bandages on his front paws. He has small black eyes.

== Part II ==

== Part II ==

−

=== Five Kage Summit Arc ===

+

=== Five Kage Summit ===

−

During [[B]]'s enka training with Sabu, Ponta alerted the two the presence of Kisame Hoshigaki. Wasting no time, Ponta rushed in to attack Kisame, but was quickly defeated. As the battle between the two parties waged on, Ponta was caught in Kisame's [[Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave]] technique. [[Killer B]] lured Kisame — who was fused with Samehada — away from Ponta and Sabu, and they were freed from the moving water dome.

+

During [[B]]'s enka training with Sabu, Ponta alerted the two the presence of Kisame Hoshigaki. Wasting no time, Ponta rushed in to attack Kisame, but was quickly defeated. As the battle between the two parties waged on, Ponta was caught in Kisame's [[Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave]] technique. [[Killer B]] lured Kisame — who was fused with [[Samehada]] — away from Ponta and Sabu, and they were freed from the moving water dome.

Contents

Ponta is very large in terms of size, easily towering over his partner Sabu [3] and was even mistaken for a bear by Kisame Hoshigaki.[4] He is predominantly orange in colour with brown markings around his face, ears, feet and circular one running along the length of his tail. The area directly around his mouth is white however. He also wears bandages on his front paws. He has small black eyes.

During B's enka training with Sabu, Ponta alerted the two the presence of Kisame Hoshigaki. Wasting no time, Ponta rushed in to attack Kisame, but was quickly defeated. As the battle between the two parties waged on, Ponta was caught in Kisame's Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave technique. Killer B lured Kisame — who was fused with Samehada — away from Ponta and Sabu, and they were freed from the moving water dome.

Unused concept artwork of Kintarō and Pochi, who would later become Ponta.

Ponta was salvaged from an unused concept of a bear-like pet raccoon named Pochi (ポチ). Pochi, together with a character called Kintarō (金太郎), was originally planned to appear instead of Haku and Zabuza Momochi. Instead of Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō, Kintarō wielded a giant axe that was also salvaged for Ponta's partner, Sabu.

Ponta is written as ポン太. This name is a stereotypical name to give to pet tanuki, who are visually very similar to raccoons, a bit like Fido is for a dog or Mittens for a cat. It is also the name Saburō Kitajima used when he was part of the comical duo Gerupin Ponta Chinta (ゲルピンぽん太ちん太; Literally meaning "Ponta and Chinta in need for Money").